I'm not Cristiano Ronaldo: Sanchez

June 22, 2010 21:39 IST

Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez shrugged off comparisons with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday, saying he wanted to make his own mark on the World Cup.

Sanchez is one of the most exciting players in Chile's squad and has caught the eye of several big European club sides. Influential French sports newspaper L'Equipe recently described him as the Cristiano Ronaldo of South America.

Asked about the comparison, Sanchez said: "I think he's one of the best players in the world, but I'm Alexis Sanchez, I'm not Cristiano and I shouldn't be compared to Cristiano. I want to make my mark in the World Cup."

Still only 21, Sanchez is the youngest player in Marcelo Bielsa's squad and the youngest ever to play for Chile, making his debut in 2006 at the age of just 17.

Nicknamed "the wonder boy," he has already played for the country's biggest club Colo Colo and for Argentine giants River Plate. He is currently on the books of Italian Serie A side Udinese but has been linked with a possible move to AS Roma or Liverpool.

Sanchez proved a handful for the defences of Honduras and Switzerland in Chile's opening Group H matches and looks certain to start against Spain in their final group match in Pretoria on Friday.